A new safety vest for motorcycle riders which comes with a built-in airbag system is available from Italian company Spidi.

The motorcycle clothing manufacturer demonstrated its Spidi Neck DPS Airbag Vest at the AIMExpo motorcycle show in Orlando last weekend. The airbag vest is designed to protect against neck and spinal injuries in the event of an accident.

Worn over the rider's usual jacket and other clothing, it has two airbags in the collar which are attached to a small CO2 canister. If the rider comes off their bike, the airbags inflate in just 0.2 seconds to fill the space between the shoulders and helmet, providing stability around the neck and minimising head movement.

And unlike a car airbag, as long as it's not damaged the system can be reused after inflation. The owner simply needs to repack the airbags and load up a new CO2 charge. The airbag vest works with the aid of a tether that connects the trigger for the canister to the motorcycle.

If the rider falls off, the system reacts instantly by inflating the airbags. The Neck DPS vest is available in black or yellow, priced at $599.90 (£374). Spidi also sells a full jacket that incorporates the neck airbag system, priced at $999.90 (£623), and a full jumpsuit, which costs $2,399.90 (£1,496).

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